Gov. Scott: Miami Metro Area adds 34,700 Jobs over the year in August 2014

Governor Rick Scott announced today that the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall metro area gained the second-highest number of jobs in August 2014 among all metro areas in Florida compared to a year ago with 34,700 new jobs. The area’s unemployment rate declined by 1.3 percentage points over the year, from 8.6 percent in August 2013 to 7.3 percent in August 2014.

Governor Scott said, “The news that 34,700 jobs were created in the Miami area is evidence that our policies are working. While this benefits the families here immensely, we have to keep working to make sure every person seeking a job in Florida can get one.”

The industries with the largest job gains over the year were in trade, transportation, and utilities with 9,900 new jobs and professional and business services with 5,500 new jobs. Also, building permits were up 11.3 percent over the month in the Miami metro area in July 2014.

The Miami metro area had the third-highest online job demand in Florida in August 2014 with 33,955 job openings and had the third-highest number of openings for STEM occupations in August 2014 with 6,927 online openings. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill.

In August, CareerSource South Florida, along with the state’s other 23 Regional Workforce Boards, reported more than 38,400 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 8,134 previously received Reemployment Assistance. In 2013, 479,064 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.

Florida created 23,000 private-sector jobs in August 2014, and since December 2010, Florida has created 643,100 private-sector jobs. Florida’s annual job growth rate has exceeded the nation’s rate since April 2012. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate for August 2014 was 6.3 percent, down 0.8 percentage points from the August 2013 rate.